Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Polity

Context: The opposition parties in India are complaining about the delay in constituting Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs).

Background: –

• Intense negotiations have been going on between the government and Opposition for control over important committees for nearly three months since the election of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Origins and Universal Nature:

• Committees are central to the functioning of parliaments worldwide.
• In India, the modern committee system was inherited from the British Parliament.
• The first committee in India was the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in 1921, under the Government of India Act, 1919.
• Post-independence, PAC and the Estimates Committee (established in 1950) came under the direct control of the Lok Sabha Speaker.
• Business Advisory Committee (chaired by the Speaker) and Committee on Government Assurance were the Indian innovations in parliamentary democracy. Another major landmark was the creation of the Committee on Public Undertakings during the third Lok Sabha.
• Significant expansion occurred in the 1990s with the establishment of Departmental Standing Committees (DRSCs) to enhance parliamentary oversight.By 1993, India had 17 DRSCs, each with 45 members.
• The expansion aimed to make parliamentary activity effective, enhance the accountability of the executive, and utilise the availability of expertise and public opinion. It may be noted here that the creation of DRSCs coincided with the rise of coalition politics, increasing disruptions in Houses, declining parliamentary oversight, and the ‘guillotine’ of legislation.

Structure and Authority:

• Committees are categorized as standing (permanent) and ad hoc (temporary for specific tasks).
• Ad hoc committees are created for some specific purposes and they cease to exist after finishing the tasks assigned. The select and joint committees on bills are principal ad hoc committees.
• In addition, Parliament has standing committees that are permanent (constituted every year) and work on a continuous basis.
• Committees are composed of MPs appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker.
• They derive authority from Article 105 (MP privileges) and Article 118 (Parliament’s authority to regulate its procedure).

Significance of Committees:

• They address the complexities of modern administration, allowing for detailed scrutiny of government activities.
• Committees involve experts and stakeholders in decision-making, helping MPs from different parties reach consensus.
• They also foster collaboration between the two houses of Parliament.
• These committees also accommodate the MPs who could not find a place in the Cabinet of coalition governments.
• They ensures executive accountability to Parliament and helps to function the system of checks and balances.

Challenges:

• Short tenure of committees limits specialisation and delays in reconstitution disrupt functioning.
• Political partisanship, absenteeism, and a decline in bills referred to committees have undermined effectiveness.
• Issues like inadequate resources, staff, and expert advisers were highlighted by the Venkatachaliah Commission (2000).

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context: Mumbai-based Entod Pharmaceuticals announced that the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the nation’s top drug regulatory authority, has approved its innovative eye drops designed specifically to reduce the need for reading glasses in individuals with presbyopia.

Background: –

• According to the company, the eye drop PresVu is the first of its kind in India, and Entod has applied for a patent for this invention in terms of its formulation and the process.

Key takeaways

• Presbyopia is an age-related disorder in which the eyes gradually lose their capacity to concentrate on adjacent objects.
• Cause: Presbyopia occurs due to the gradual stiffening of the lens inside the eye. The lens becomes less flexible, reducing its ability to change shape and focus light on the retina for close-up tasks.
• This condition typically becomes noticeable in individuals around the age of 40 and continues to progress with age. Doctors believe that spectacles are one of the most efficient strategies to manage the illness.

About PresVu

• The active ingredient — chemical compounds in medicines that have an effect on the body — in PresVu is pilocarpine.
• The compound contracts the iris muscles, which control the size of the pupil and help humans see things clearly, thereby enabling one’s eyes to focus better on nearby objects, according to Entod Pharmaceuticals.
• PresVu also claims to employ “advanced dynamic buffer technology” — effectively, a base solution — to adapt to the pH level of tears. This guarantees that the eye drop has consistent efficacy and safety for extended use, keeping in mind that such drops will be used for years at a stretch.
• PresVu is a prescription-only medication, and experts say its effects are unlikely to endure more than four to six hours.

Additional Information

• Although Entod’s claims suggest that PresVu is a new therapy, pilocarpine, the key ingredient in the eye drop, has been available in India for decades. In 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a pilocarpine eye drop to treat presbyopia.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – POLITY

Context: A parcel of land in Uttar Pradesh, previously belonging to the family of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, is set to be auctioned under The Enemy Property Act.

Background:

• The Union Home Affairs Ministry said in a notice erected on the plot that around 13 bighas of land in the Kotana Bangar village in Baghpat district has been directed for sale through e-auction until September 12.

Enemy Property and the Enemy Property Act

• Enemy Property refers to the properties left behind by individuals who migrated to Pakistan or China following the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, and the Sino-Indian War of 1962. These properties were classified as “enemy property” under Indian law, as the people who left India acquired the nationality of an enemy country.
• The Indian government took control of these properties and vested them in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, a government-appointed authority, under the Defence of India Rules (formulated under the Defence of India Act, 1962).
• The Enemy Property Act, enacted in 1968, provided for the continuous vesting of enemy property in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.
• The Tashkent Declaration of January 10, 1966, featured a clause stating that India and Pakistan would consider the restitution of property and assets taken over during the fight. However, the Pakistani government disposed of all such properties throughout the country in 1971.

Key Features of the Enemy Property Act:

• Under the Enemy Property Act 1968, Custodian manages enemy properties on behalf of the Government of India, ensuring that these assets cannot be transferred or claimed by anyone.
• Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2017: In 2017, the Indian government amended the Enemy Property Act of 1968 to address legal issues and prevent claims by legal heirs. The key amendments included:
• Expansion of Definitions:
  • The amended Act expanded the definition of the term “enemy subject”, and “enemy firm” to include the legal heir and successor of an enemy, whether a citizen of India or a citizen of a country which is not an enemy; and the succeeding firm of an enemy firm, irrespective of the nationality of its members or partners.
• Vesting of Property:
  • The amended law provided that enemy property shall continue to vest in the Custodian even if the enemy or enemy subject or enemy firm ceases to be an enemy due to death, extinction, winding up of business or change of nationality, or that the legal heir or successor is a citizen of India or a citizen of a country which is not an enemy.
• Disposal of Enemy Property:
  • The Custodian, with the approval of the central government, is empowered to sell or dispose of enemy property. The proceeds from such disposals are intended to benefit the government.
• Purpose of enemy property act amendment
  • The amendment effectively barred any claims of inheritance or succession on enemy property, regardless of whether the legal heir resides in India or a non-enemy country.
  • This move was aimed at preventing prolonged litigation, such as the case of the Raja of Mahmudabad, whose heirs fought a long legal battle to reclaim the properties.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context: A suspected case of mpox has been identified in India, according to a statement issued by the Union Health Ministry on Sunday.

Background: –

• Mpox was declared a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’ — the highest level of alert by the World Health Organization — last month.
• While India has reported at least 30 cases and one death due to the infection since it was first detected in 2022 (Kerala), this is the first suspected case in the current outbreak.

About Mpox

• Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the Monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus. The disease is similar to smallpox but generally less severe. It can spread from animals to humans (zoonotic transmission) and between humans.

History and Background:

• First Identified: In 1958, the virus was discovered in monkey colonies used for research, hence the name “Monkeypox.”
• First Human Case: Detected in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• Primarily reported in Central and West Africa, but cases outside Africa have occurred due to international travel and animal trade.

Transmission:

• Zoonotic Transmission: Direct contact with infected animals (rodents and primates are primary carriers).
• Human-to-Human Transmission: Through close contact with respiratory droplets, bodily fluids, or contaminated objects like bedding.

Symptoms:

• Incubation Period: 6-13 days (can range from 5 to 21 days).
• Initial Symptoms: Fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue.
• Rash: Develops 1-3 days after the fever, beginning on the face and spreading to other parts of the body. It evolves into pus-filled sores before crusting over and healing.
• Severity and Risk: The disease is typically self-limiting, with symptoms lasting 2-4 weeks. Fatality rates in Africa range from 1% to 10%, depending on the strain and healthcare access.

Vaccination and Treatment:

• Smallpox Vaccine: Provides cross-protection due to the similarity between the viruses. WHO has recommended the JYNNEOS/Imvanex vaccine for high-risk groups.
• Treatment: No specific antiviral treatment for Mpox, but antivirals like tecovirimat are being investigated.
• 2022 Global Outbreak: First Major Outbreak: Cases of Mpox in non-endemic countries were reported across Europe, the Americas, and Asia in mid-2022.
• WHO Renaming: In 2022, WHO renamed the disease from Monkeypox to Mpox to avoid stigma and inaccuracy, aligning with global naming conventions.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: India’s first study on ‘teal carbon’, undertaken at Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, has highlighted the significance of wetland conservation to address the challenges of climate adaptation and resilience.

Background: –

• The concept of teal carbon is a recent addition to the environmental science

About Teal Carbon

• Teal carbon refers to carbon stored in non-tidal freshwater wetlands, encompassing carbon sequestered in vegetation, microbial biomass, and dissolved and particulate organic matter.
• Teal carbon being a colour-based terminology reflects the classification of the organic carbon based on its functions and location rather than its physical properties.
• As opposed to teal carbon, black and brown carbon are primarily produced by incomplete combustion of organic matter from sources such as wild fires, fossil fuel combustion, and industrial activities. They contribute to global warming.
• At the global level, the storage of teal carbon across the ecosystems is estimated to be 500.21 petagrams of carbon (PgC), which is a unit to measure carbon. Peatlands, freshwater swamps, and natural freshwater marshes account for significant amount of this storage.

Additional information

• The study in news has depicted the potential of teal carbon as a tool to mitigate climate change if the anthropogenic pollution in the wetlands can be controlled.
• Though wetlands play a crucial role in regulating greenhouse gases, they are vulnerable to degradation from pollution, land use changes, water extraction, and landscape modifications.
• Wetlands, when degraded, could release methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Source: The Hindu

Q1.) Which of the following statements regarding “Teal Carbon” is/are correct?

1. Teal carbon refers to carbon stored in non-tidal freshwater wetlands.
2. Unlike black and brown carbon, teal carbon contributes to global warming.
3. Peatlands, freshwater swamps, and natural freshwater marshes account for a significant portion of global teal carbon storage.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q2.) Consider the following statements regarding the Mpox (Monkeypox) virus:

1. Mpox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by a virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus.
2. The first human case of Mpox was detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.
3. Human-to-human transmission of Mpox occurs primarily through respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.
4. There is a specific antiviral treatment for Mpox, and the WHO has recommended tecovirimat as the primary treatment.

Which of the above statements are correct?

(a) 1, 2, and 3 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, and 4

Q3.) Consider the following statements about the Parliamentary Committee system in India:

1. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was the first parliamentary committee in India, formed in 1921 under the Government of India Act, 1919.
2. The Business Advisory Committee in the Indian Parliament is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.
3. The Venkatachaliah Commission highlighted issues like inadequate resources and lack of expert advisers in parliamentary committees.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

(a) 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 2 only

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  6th September 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  b

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – a